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Myrkul
Myrkul, also known as the Lord of Bones, is known as the god of the dead, as opposed to the god of death, which was the province of Bhaal. Myrkul (MER-Kul), one of the Dark Gods, is the god of the dead, he was a mortal necromancer who joined the mortal Bane and Bhaal in their quest for divinity. He is a extremely feared deity whose faithful are thankfully small in number. He takes the appearance of a skeleton clad in a billowing black cowled robe and wielding a scythe. He has scaly, wrinkled skin covered with knobby lesions and black, cracked lips. His eyes gleamed with a cold, evil light and were so sunken that his face looked like a skull. His chest and torso were bare bones, and he had four bony arms, not the usual two. Below the waist his bones were covered by withered sinews and wasted flesh. He could fly about so that his rotting, gangrenous feet did not need to touch the ground. Personality Myrkul had a cold, malignant intelligence, and spoke in a high whisper. He was always alert, never slept, and was never suprised. He was never known to lose his temper or be anything other than coldly amused when a mortal succeeded in avoiding his directives or chosen fates. His influence in Faerûn was imposed through fear, and he was a master of making mortals terrified of him through his words and deeds. At times, just to remain unpredictable, he seemed almost kind and caring. His cowled skull head was known in nightmares all over Faerûn, and he was the one deity that almost all human mortals could picture clearly. Myrkul took care that all mortals thought of him often - he was even known to materialize beside open graves, scythe in hand, just to gaze around at gathering mourners for a few silent seconds before fading away, in order to remind everyone that he was waiting for them all. Dogma Make certain daily that all fear and respect the Lord of Bones--who cannot be evaded, hidden from,or shut out. For the dead are his subjects and the slide into death his pleasure and his domination. Preform your duty as a doombringer, those moved by Myrkul to bring death, delivering souls to the one who shall have them all in the end, the mighty and the low-born, the cloaked in proud art and those barely able to speak. You fear nothing, for to harm you is to die. “Know me and fear me. My embrace is for all and is patient but sure. The dead can always find you. My hand is everywhere - there is no door I cannot pass, nor guardian who can withstand me.”-Myrkul Worshipers The clergy of Myrkul were charged to make folk fear and respect death and the power of the almighty Myrkul so that no one stood against the church or tried to thwart its activities. Myrkul's priests were expected to spread the word that touching a priest of Myrkul brings death. They were expected to tell all folk that those in the service of Myrkul had perfect patience and could be trusted utterly - then conduct themselves accordingly. Myrkulyte clergy were to teach the stories of past and future doombringers - mortals who roamed the land avenging dead friends, masters, and blood kin to whom they had sworn oaths, and slaying those who scoffed or who held other gods supreme over the Lord of Bones. Initiates to the faith first heard the word of Myrkul through a speak with dead spell cast on a temple's most revered deceased former high priest. Such spells allowed all within hearing range to comprehend the corpse's words. Relationships Since he was a mortal, Myrkul has a working relationship if not friendship with Bane and Bhaal who the three worked together to achieve divinity. The enemies of Myrkul are numerous, amongst them is Chauntea, Lathander, and Mielikki. His worshippers tend to be morbid loners who enjoy scaring others or enjoy the power of widespread rumors that it is death to touch a priest of Myrkul. Day-to-Day Activities Myrkul, clergy members roamed the Realms burying the dead and conducting funerals for fees. Their immunity to diseases made them popular hirelings for the disposal of plague victims and dealings with infected lycanthropes and the diseased. They would do all they could to make the dying comfortable, but viewed death as natural, inevitable, and not something to be run from. They placed great value on the influence dead folk could have (referring to it as “the sacred hand that reaches from the grave”) and would assist dying folk to draft decrees, wills, and cryptic verses that would guide the living to search for their hidden treasure or otherwise dance to their bidding after they were dead. In return for a “skull fee,” a priest of Myrkul would even agree to act as an agent or avenger for the dead, administering the wishes of the departed or carrying out tasks they were unable to complete before death. (Myrkulyte clergy members never accepted skull fees from a living person who recounted the wishes of a dead being, but only from deceased persons themselves in arrangements made before—sometimes years before—death.) While Myrkul rarely allowed his clergy to resurrect the dead, bringing a person to the temple of another faith for attempted resurrection and paying for this undertaking with money left by the dead was a procedure both commonplace and perfectly acceptable to Myrkulyte clergy members. Holy Days/Important Ceremonies Myrkul was worshiped on a daily basis at dusk, and every devout follower was also to proffer a personal prayer at any time during the hours of darkness. The Dusking was a ritual involving bones, the ashes of cremated humans, and grave dust, and was a remembrance of how mortal all living beings are and how close death walks behind each creature. It was centered upon a floating, glowing (thanks to magic) skull that hovered above a black, bone-decorated block or table altar. Offerings were accepted at this time from folk who were not devout but who wished to appease the Lord of Bones. They typically had to kneel at altar when presenting their offerings. Tolling bells (deep and echoing, never tinkling or high and metallic) marked the opening and ending of this ritual and were struck once whenever an offering was made. There was only one calendar-related ritual observed by the Church of Myrkul. The Feast of the Moon was known to the faithful of Myrkul as the ‘Day the Dead are Most With Us’. Myrkulytes believed that on that day the essences of all dead folk rose and drifted as unseen ghosts across Faerûn and sought their living descendants to deliver messages or warnings (by silently writing in dust, sand, or ashes, or by moving objects about, not by speech), or just to observe. To those who worshiped the Lord of Bones, this was a day to celebrate the dead in chant, prayer, and hymns, culminating in the midnight ritual of the Flagons of the Fallen, wherein glasses of wine were set alight by spells so the spirits who drank of them could be warmed for a brief moments in their “eternal chill.” The only other major rituals practiced by Myrkulytes involved funeral related observances and the ceremonies some used to accompany their raising (or forcing down) undead. Since these activities were often done for hire, they were frequently dressed up with sinister, impressive rituals to make folk regard the work of the priests more highly. Affiliated Orders The Knights of the Undying Dragon are an ancient order of undead crusaders who served as the sword-arm of Myrkul. The Order includes 12 death knight commanders, each of whom commands a company of 12 skeletal warriors, who in turn each command a platoon of 12 night riders. The death knights all ride nightmares; the sub-commanders and troops ride gaunts. It is not known how the group maintains its size, even after a rare defeat, but their troop strength never changes. The knighthood is based in the dungeons of the long-vanished Castle of Al’hanar located in the Eastern Shaar, south of the Sharawood, east of the Great Rift, and south of Azulduth, the Lake of Salt. It is believed that the order was established before the rise of Unther and Mulhorand by the long-vanished kingdom of Eltabranar to guard against invaders from Zakhara. Unwilling to abandon their posts, even in death, the Knights of the Eternal Dragon (as they were known while still living) were granted immortality through undeath by the Lord of Bones in exchange for their eternal servitude. It is has been several centuries since the last campaign of the Undying Dragons, and the order has been long since forgotten. Companies of undead knights emerge once each century to destroy a dracolich known only as the Everlasting Wyrm and several of its living spawn who inhabit the Sharawood (also known as the Drakewood). The Everlasting Wyrm always reforms after its destruction and begins rebuilding its horde. It is believed that Al’hanar Castle contains the wealth of at least 10 such hordes in its bowels and magic not seen since the Imaskari Empire. There has also been word of a cult of Bone Fist Monks who worship the god of the dead. They reportedly train their fists to produce extremely tough and durable bone, which they use in defense of their land and the Lord of Bones. Priestly Vestments All priests of Myrkul wore black robes with hooded cloaks, bound about the waist with a single sash of bone-white hue. Within temples they went barefoot and sometimes also bared their faces, but in public they were always masked, wearing half-masks (extending from the forehead to the upper cheeks) painted to resemble skulls. All exposed flesh was darkened with ash. Adventuring Garb When adventuring, priests of Myrkul wore the best armor available. They always wore a dark hooded cloak along with their skull half-masks, and even while in the field, they continued to darken all their exposed flesh with ash. Priests of the Lord of Death felt no need to hide their allegiance as death would come to all eventually—sooner, it was rumored, for those foolish enough to molest a Myrkulyte. Secular Aims Word spread during the early 1300s DR that to do any violence to a priest of Myrkul was to die. Not on the spot; the belief is that priests of Myrkul know when one of their own dies, and how, and inexorably hunt down any responsible slayers. This reputation led to a few thieves and desperate individuals seeking to escape justice or manhunts by masquerading as clergy of Myrkul, so that no one would be inclined to approach them. These people dressed in black robes and skull masks and carried skulls or scythes to look like a priest of Myrkul--or like Myrkul himself. For these folk, Myrkulyte clergy make an exception: They slay on sight anyone who has been attempting this ruse--and as painfully as possible. Word of such encounters has got around, with the result that fewer and fewer folk dare even get in the way of the unhurriedly strolling priest of Myrkul. In turn, this enhanced reputation mean that priests of Myrkul are free to just walk up and take almost anything they desire. This freedom extends only to nonliving objects; the loved ones of someone a Priest of Myrkul assaults or attempts to take captive typically will fight to protect their kin or beloved. Some priests use this privilege to go through life never paying a meal or any item they fancy; others use it to amass large personal fortunes--which Myrkul doesn’t seem to mind. Myrkul is known to visit those he favors personally , chilling them with his touch and embrace. Those who survive the terror and permanent withering that such contact brings, improve their standing in the church. Myrkul did away with supreme high priests at the head of his church after several rebelled against him or sought to deceive him. Lower-ranking priests must obey, aid, and give money food, or shelter to higher-ranking ones--but this is expected to be temporary “aid of the moment,” not a way for the higher-ranking to live off those in the lower ranks. Such abuse is rightful grounds for a lower-ranked priest to simply defy a higher-ranked priest. Priests of Myrkul are expected to slay (or atleast coecre into changing their ways) law keepers, courtiers, and rulers who harass, arrest, jail, or slay necromancers or anything purely for practicing necromancy. Otherwise, they are free to spread fear daily--and to enrich themselves in any manner they see fit, short of betraying the faith. History As a mortal, Myrkul's full name and title is said to have been Myrkul Bey al-Kursi, Crown Prince of Murghôm. "Monument of the Ancients." Myrkul was a powerful adventuring necromancer in his mortal years, traveling with Bane and Bhaal, dedicated each to a quest to attain divinity for themselves. They traveled to the citadel of Jergal who, luckily for them was tiring of his existence as lord of the end of everything. Breaking off his skeletal knucklebones after an argument over which of the three would rule over the other two, they were each thrown by the mortals to determine which of Jergal's portfolios they would recieve. Malar tried and failed to interrupt this game. The end result was Myrkul gaining the portfolio of the Dead. Jergal served Myrkul as an aide for a time until Myrkul had settled into his new role. Many years later, Myrkul again allied himself with Bane and the two dark gods conspired to steal the Tablets of Fate from the overgod Ao, in hopes that the loss of these tablets would weaken the overgod enough that he could be overthrown. The overgod responded to the theft by casting all the gods from the planes and into Toril, stripping their divine powers in the process. Only Helm was allowed to keep his divine abilities, and the God of Guardians stood watch over the Celestial Stairways, where he barred all deities from entering the planes, and waited for the tablets to be recovered and delivered to him and Ao. Following the destruction of both Bane and Bhaal, Myrkul attacked Midnight, Kelemvor and Elminster atop Blackstaff Tower in Waterdeep, hoping his minions would provide enough distraction while he would forcefully seize the Tablets of Fate. But the mortal mage Midnight, infused with the power of the dead Mystra would slay the Lord of Bones before he could make good his escape. Some of the defeated gods essence was siphoned into an artifact contained in the Tower called the Crown of Horns, which he quickly teleported away. The artifact was once in the possession of Nhyris D'Hothek, a yuan-ti from Skullport, but has since abandoned its user, and to this day the spirit of Myrkul endures in the form of this powerful, sentient, artifact. His undead host in Waterdeep would in the end be defeated through the combined effort of the city watch and Khelben Arunsun. His portfolio, and his home, the Bone Castle, were both usurped by Cyric after the Lord of Bones was destroyed atop Blackstaff Tower in Waterdeep during the Time of Troubles by Midnight. Later Myrkul's portfolio passed to Kelemvor when Cyric was driven from the City of Strife by an alliance of deities and denizens. Dogma Know me and fear me. My embrace is for all and is patient but sure. The dead can always find you. My hand is everywhere - there is no door I cannot pass, nor guardian who can withstand me. PF MYRKUL Lord of the Dead, Lord of Bones, the Reaper, Old Lord Skull Greater Power of Hades Symbol A white human skull face-on against a black field or a reaching white skeletal hand in white on a black field, (in recent years, either symbol usually shown on an inverted black shield with a continuous border of white, stylized human fingerbones) Domain Oinos/Bone Castle Alignment Neutral Evil Aliases N'asr (Anauroch, among the Bedine) Superior Ao Allies Bane, Bhaal, Kiaransalee, Shar, Talona Foes Chauntea, Labolas Enoreth, Lathander, Mielikki, Segojan Earthcaller, Sehanine Moonbow, Urogalan Servants Jergal Servitor Creatures autumn deaths, bats, black leopards, black panthers, bodaks, bone storms, crawling hands, crows, crypt things, dream spectres, ghosts, ghouls, grim reapers, hellhounds, liches, minor reapers, mummies, murder crows, nightmares, nightshades, plague steeds, ravens, shadows (all types), skeletons (all types), soul reapers, spectres, wraiths (all types), undead warlords, zombies (all types) Manifestations a swooping human skull with blazing lights for eyes, a disembodied skeletal hand that pointed, gestured or wielded a scimitar Signs of Favor deepest red roses (that look black and crumbles when touched), jet, obsidian Worshipers necromancers, morticians, gravediggers, the bereaved, the dying, intelligent undead, those who feared the afterlife Cleric Alignments NE, LE, CE Priests Gray One Holy Days Day the Dead are Most With Us Portfolio autumn, the dead, wasting, decay, old age, parasites, wasting, corruption, dusk Domains* Darkness, Death, Evil (Fear), Healing (Resurrection only), Luck (Fate only), Plant (Decay only), Repose (Souls) Oracle Mysteries Bones, Juju, Occult, Time Favored Weapon Reaper's Smile (Scythe) *Where noted, clerics of Myrkul can only use a particular subdomain instead of the original domain. Category:Greater deities Category:Faerûnian pantheon